Week Four: 205 Pounds…35 To Go!

Okay, so the good news is that I didn’t gain any weight this week and the bad news is, I didn’t lose any either.

It looks like I hit my plateau and now the real work must begin.

Dropping 36 pounds was relatively painless. After my taste buds adjusted to the fact that I was eating salads, fruits, and vegetables it was smooth sailing, except for those late night cravings every now and then. I knew that it was too good to be true to drop that much weight so quickly and that sooner or later I was going to have to really work at it and it appears that that time is now.

It kind of sucks that I didn’t make it to the 199 mark before I hit my plateau, but I will eventually.

Okay, so about the gym. Well, you’ll be pleased to know that I am official a new member of 24Hour Fitness! I signed up this week and will make my first appearance this weekend sometime. I’ve also decided that on Monday nights, I will be attending their hip-hop class. Since I love to dance, this seems l like a natural fit.

So I’ve been doing some re-evaluating and I realize that I only have about three months to go before July is here. And while I don’t plan to stop my weight loss plan after July, part of my immediate goal is to be at least 170 by July. Basically, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to step it up. Time is a’wastin’.

I will be back on the hiking trail on Sunday morning, holiday or no holiday. I try to stick to my Sunday routine as much as I can.

I messed around last week and didn’t get to go hiking because I was drop dead tired from driving to Palm Springs and back in one night so that when I finally made it home around 4:30 that Sunday morning. I didn’t turn over until almost noon later that day. But it was worth it. I had a great time in Palm Springs and am really glad that I mustered up the courage to go. It was good to see all of my friends that I hadn’t seen in a while and to meet new friends. Since I drove two hours to get to the party, this was one of those rare times that I actually stayed at a party until it was over.

I got some great advice on my workout plan from Skyler, who besides being a great actor is a personal trainer. Can’t beat free advice from a personal trainer who knows her shit, can you?

And yes, I did feel a bit uncomfortable at first. That’s a feeling that’s always going to be there. One of my friends made me close my eyes and open them and told me to imagine everyone with their clothes off, lol. It sounds corny but it did help. In doing that, I did take a real close look at everyone at the party and noticed the very different body shapes of all of the women, some bigger than me, some smaller than me. What that did for me was put it all into perspective that I’m not the only one with body issues.

Someone left a post on my weight loss diary last week inquiring why I cared so much about what other people thought of my appearance.

Why shouldn’t I?

Let’s see, I am 29 years old, single, and overweight living in LaLa Land. And no matter what the political correct thing is to say, we all know that the first thing we notice about anyone before they ever even open their mouth is their appearance. Looks matter and even more so when you’re single, lol. And it’s not just about how other people perceive you but how you yourself feel about your image. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to improve one’s image. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with caring about what other people think about your image. Should you get obsessed with it? No. But there’s a reason why M.A.C. and all of the high end designers make a killing in profits each year, because we care about our appearance and what others think. If we didn’t, we’d all walk around in brown potato sack bags.

Oh and by the way, I decided not to cut my hair after all and I just settled for coloring it and having it palm twisted. I love my new color, it’s much more vibrant. I told my Grandma that it was my little way of letting out my wild side and she said it was ghetto, lol. I still love her, but I am keeping my color.

I’m still pretty much a size18 and I am hoping that with a week or two at the gym I can start to see some inches drop so that I can squeeze into a 16. My ultimate goal is to get down to a 12, but that’s still a long ways off.

I told my friends this week that I have to stop going through the drive-thru at Starbucks and get out of the car and walk in. This all came about when I went to Starbucks and requested my usual, a sugar-free vanilla latte with non-fat milk at 140 degrees. The cashier didn’t repeat my order back to me and when I asked to make sure he got it, he got a very bad attitude with me. When I finally got my drink, it just didn’t taste right. Now if you’re like me, and you know your coffee because you drink it everyday, several times a day, you can tell if there’s even the slightest change, like using regular milk instead of non-fat milk. And that’s what I noticed and because I couldn’t prove it, I had to play the guessing game as to whether or not he messed with my drink, and I think he did. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re drinking a sugar-free and fat-free latte, only to find out that you’re not. So that’s the end of my drive-thru days, come rain or shine, I’ve got to see them making my drink from now on. I am working to hard to have my weight loss sabotaged by some lazy kid who gets his kicks from screwing with people’s drinks.

Anyway, for all my Angelino’s that either belong to 24Hour Fitness or are looking to go to gym and want a workout partner, let me know. I’m doing evenings and weekends only.

Have a great weekend!

Jasmyne A. Cannick

Jasmyne Cannick is a nationally known writer and commentator on political, race and social issues. She was selected as one of ESSENCE Magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World, one of the Most Influential African-Americans in Los Angeles Under 40, one of Los Angeles’ Most Fascinating Angelenos by the L.A. Weekly and one of 40 People Under 40 by the Advocate. She’s worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and at all levels of government helping to shape public opinion and encourage civic engagement while advocating for underrepresented and marginalized communities in the political arena. Learn more here.

What do you think?

Martha Jean

Keep it up, losing weight is hard, but, you seem focused and determined, and that’s half the battle, now, just don’t go getting all Starlet Jones on us now! Just healthy, happy and fit, and don’t be worrying about no dress size, in Hollyweird, a size 2 is too big, LOL!

Serena Storm

Congrats on your progress Jasmyne! Don’t let the plateau get you down…I’m cheering you on!

I am so proud of you. You’re inspiring me to get fit again. Keep up the good the work!!!

Yougogirl

I am proud of you Jasmyne!!! Keep it up. I lost 30 pounds myself fairly recently. I know how hard it is.

lisa

that hair color is hot as hell! you’re looking great, but most of all, i’m glad that you decided to go to dinah shore and enjoy yourself. no matter what your self-percpetion is, i hope you continue to push yourself to be out and about. you’re young! there is no reason to be a hermit.

Starting that gym membership and doing different things in your exercise routine than what you’ve been doing should get you out of that plateau. Usually, a plateau signals your body has become used to what you’ve been doing, which means you need a shake-up. Good luck with the class tonight!